Books do more than entertain people. They broaden one’s horizons,
educate people and inspire readers to do more with their lives. Unfortunately,
there are some parts of the world where books are scarce and education is
something people only dream about.
Founded in 1954, Bookaid
International brings books to these places and distributes them to libraries,
schools, and universities. The program was initiated by Lady Hermione Ranfurly,
wife of the Governor General of the Bahamas back then. Reaching out to her contacts and friends in
the UK, she was able to supply much needed books to schools and libraries
there. When she returned to the UK, she continued her efforts and expanded to
include many different developing nations worldwide. The organization decided
to concentrate their efforts to a dozen sub-Saharan African countries and have
several small programs in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. To date,
Bookaid International has distributed millions of books; with roughly half a
million books being sent out every year.
